Job Interview Tips: Negotiating Pay
By: Natasha Chau, Owner | CEO
Money can be such a touchy subject and is always uncomfortable. Make sure you do your research, find out how much people with your job title make, and make sure it's area specific. I highly recommend using www.glassdoor.com, www.salary.com, and Google searches.
When asked about what you're willing to make, stick to professional reasons, including the amount of experience and education you have, the requirements of the job, and average pay for this kind of role.
Do NOT, under any circumstance, use your financial situation as reasoning.
Your bills/debt/etc should never be discussed with your potential employer, and could easily work against you.
Its always a good idea to negotiate, and if you're consistent with the numbers you give, you won't come across as greedy. For example, in discussions, if you always say you're looking for $75-85k and they make you an offer of $70k, it's perfectly acceptable to say, "Thank you, i'm extremely interested in this position and think I can make a big impact, however, I really can't accept anything less than $75k."
If they stand firm, then you can say something like, "Well I understand, but maybe we can be creative about the $5k difference. Perhaps extra vacation time or a sign-on bonus".
It's not your place to be grateful you were made an offer, it's your place to make sure this is a mutually benefiting partnership between you and the employer.
Have you negotiated your salary before? Let me know your story in the comments!
